US politics

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The government of Angela Merkel in Germany has rejected participation in the the Trump administration’s naval mission, “Operation Sentinel,” aimed at securing the Straits of Hormuz from Iranian interference in shipping. German foreign minister Heiko Maas of the Social Democratic Party said that Berlin opposes the Trump policy of “maximum […]

Climate Change

The Climate Emergency comes for the Democrats

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Despite the reluctance of corporate America, its cable news channels and its favorite candidates to tackle the looming menace of our climate crisis, it came for the Democrats big time in the second CNN debate. Credit where credit is due; the governor of Washington state, Jay Inslee, was the primary […]

Donald Trump

Why Trump let Saudi Arabia and UAE censor his “America First” Speech on Energy

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – On Sunday the NYT revealed that Trump’s staff ran his May, 2016 speech on “America First” by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for their input into the energy passages, and actually altered the text based on their editing. The hollow joke of Trump’s “America first” slogan could not […]

Afghanistan

This is how America’s Afghanistan War ends– Not with a Bang but with a Mess

Danny Sjursen

( Tomdispatch.com ) – Could Donald Trump end the Afghan war someday? I don’t know if such a possibility has been on your mind, but it’s certainly been on the mind of this retired U.S. Army major who fought in that land so long ago. And here’s the context in which I’ve been thinking about […]

Bernie Sanders

Bernie Sanders would ‘Absolutely’ cut Military Aid to Israel to get Two-State Solution

Middle East Monitor

In an interview Sanders was asked whether he would consider using the billions of dollars in military aid from the US to change Israel’s behaviour, to which he replied “absolutely”. Our policy cannot just be pro-Israel pro-Israel pro-Israel. It has got to be pro-region working with all of the people, all of the countries in […]

Donald Trump

10 Poorest States in US to have voted for Trump are Poorer than Baltimore

Juan Cole

*The wording of this piece has been slightly revised and two links added. Trump has been throwing shade on Baltimore. But he constantly praises himself at his rallies in the Red States for the great job he’s done in bringing people prosperity. Open Data Network says GDP per capita in the Baltimore metro area in […]

Donald Trump

Taking Focus off Wage Stagnation: How Trump’s Stoking of Racial Divide Harms the White Working Class

The Conversation

By Donald T. Tomaskovic-Devey and Eric Hoyt | – Many white men say they feel threatened by the increasing presence and success of minorities in the workplace. As social scientists, we wondered if there is any evidence to support this perceived economic threat, a perception that can provide fertile ground for current rounds of racist […]

Donald Trump

Trump’s Racism is Reducing our News Anchors to Tears: CNN’s Victor Blackwell Pushes Back over Baltimore “Infestation”

contributors

CNN | Video Clip | – “CNN’s Victor Blackwell became emotional while responding to President Donald Trump’s tweets calling Rep. Elijah Cummings’ (D-MD) district a “very dangerous & filthy place” and calls out the President’s repeated use of the word “infested” while attacking minority lawmakers. #CNN #News” CNN: “CNN’s Victor Blackwell tears up defending hometown […]

Immigration

US Homeland Security could return Syrian Refugees in US to Violence, Arrest, Torture under al-Assad

Human Rights Watch

Human Rights Watch (Washington, DC) – The US should renew its grant of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to almost 7,000 Syrians living in the United States, Human Rights Watch said today. People forced to return to Syria still face violence, arbitrary arrest and detention, and torture. Destroyed house from US-led coalition strike that killed 13 […]